6th Ward Election Duty Restaurant Suggestions

It's election time again, and for the primaries, my partner and I have been assigned the 6th Ward, vaguely Grand Crossing, but to be more precise, it runs from 66th down to 99th, and from Cottage Grove over to State (with some odd attachments and cutouts that make the ward look shockingly like a handgun, complete with hammer and trigger guard). We're out on the road from 6:00 am until about 8:00 pm monitoring all of the precincts in the ward, so we need to plot breakfast and lunch stops. It's not an area of the city I frequent, so if anyone has suggestions in the area, it would be much appreciated. We're not looking for anything fancy, but we're both pretty diverse in our dining tastes (I've heard there's a good pan-African restaurant in the ward, but the source couldn't remember the name, and if anyone can identify and vouch for it, that would definitely be a lunch option). So, yeah, help me LTH Kenobi, you are my only hope (or at least the most reliable source of this kind of info).
Thanks

Get thee to Uncle John's, if you don't mind eating out of a car or in a park. No seating in the place, but it's the best tips and links in the city, in my opinion.

Uncle John's
337 East 69th Street Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 892-1233

Love,
John (no relation)

Maybe the African restaurant your source was thinking of is the Senegalese restaurant Yassa. It's on 79th 1.5 blocks west of Cottage Grove, and opens at 11:
http://yassaafricanrestaurant.com/

There's a thread on it on LTH.

You should eat well. Some of the city's best barbecue is found within the ward: Uncle John's and Barbara Ann's (also Lem's but it's closed on Tuesday). Two of the better soul food restaurants are also there: Saint Rest #2 Country Kitchen and Roy's. For meatless, try Soul Vegetarian East. Café Trinidad could be worth a visit. Maybe the African restaurant you mention is Yassa (Senegalese). A few doors away is Old Chicago Pizza for the best deep dish (including by-the-slice) many have never heard of. Good chicken shouldn't be a problem at either Wings Around the World or Tropic Island Jerk. Get dessert at Dat Donut, El-Lar's Elegant Cookies or Brown Sugar Bakery. There are plenty more to try but these are all places I've been to and can recommend.

Thanks for the feedback. Yassa was the African restaurant I was thinking of, and I came across the thread just after I posted. But I think we're leaning towards barbecue. We were thinking of Barbara Ann's (thanks for the heads up on Lem's schedule, it hadn't occurred to me to double check), but "best tips and links in the city" is pretty enticing. Actually, I'm kind of hungry now. Anyone else want to weigh in on Uncle John's vs. Barbara Ann's?

Oh, and even asking about breakfast was silly. Not sure why the imminent proximity to a Dat's apple fritter didn't immediately set off my internal good food proximity alarms, but I will try to be better in the future.

I just did the Barbara Ann's v Uncle Johns tip-link comparison on Tues.-for me, UJs links were far superior, the tips were comparable in quality tho slightly different styles (UJs meatier, BAs slightly preferred texture), BAs spicy sauce (on the side) much better (UJs too sweet for me). Can't go wrong with either but Mack is much friendlier!

garsonf wrote:Oh, and even asking about breakfast was silly. Not sure why the imminent proximity to a Dat's apple fritter didn't immediately set off my internal good food proximity alarms, but I will try to be better in the future.

Here are a few thoughts in case you want to start your day with something other than a fritter. Your best bets might be St Rest #2 on 87th or Roy's on 71st. I think they open at 6 or 7am. Also consider Captain's Hard Time Diner on 79th (I haven't eaten there) or Daley's on 63rd (just outside the 6th Ward). Take a look at Five Loaves Eatery on 75th to see if meets your needs (may not open early). For fritters, there's nothing wrong with Dat's but keep in mind that Old Fashioned Donuts is less than 2 miles from the southern end of the Sixth. OFD's apple fritters are in a different class. It should go without saying you'll need to call ahead to be sure places are open and to check hours. I think you'll be in one of the better food wards on the south side.

In my opinion, since you asked, uj's would be the better bet for best tip link combo on any given day. His links are far better. The tips are more of a variable. Both are fine options, but uj's links are best in city, and he does tips consistently well. I'm not in it for the sauce, so i won't give an opinion. I'd go with uj's.

There's a Garrett's Popcorn with a drive-thru at 87th & Cottage Grove.

I agree with the posters in re: Uncle John's vs Barbara Ann's. I will qualify that it has been about three years since I've been to Barbara Ann's, but Uncle John's tips-and-links combo are the best in the city, in my humble opinion. Especially those links. I hate to say this, but when I'm in that neighborhood, Barbara Ann's has fallen off my list. If I want ribs (especially in the middle of the night--it happens), I go to Lem's. Otherwise, for tips and/or links (always both for me), it's Uncle John's.